Question 1

What is ICD-10 code O29.61?

Accepted Answer

O29.61 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for failed or difficult intubation for anesthesia during pregnancy, first trimester. Difficulty or failure to place an endotracheal tube during anesthesia induction in a pregnant patient during the first trimester. O29.61 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (o00-o9a), within the section covering other maternal disorders predominantly related to pregnancy (o20-o29).

O29.61 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to a payment HCC under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions but it does not contribute to a beneficiary's RAF score and therefore does not affect risk-adjusted payments to the plan.

Verify first trimester timing in documentation; this is less common than third trimester difficult intubation.

Question 2

Is O29.61 an HCC code?

Accepted Answer

No. O29.61 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any payment HCC category under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can still be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions, but it does not contribute to the beneficiary's Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) score and therefore does not affect the risk-adjusted capitation payment to the plan. V28 reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026.

Question 3

Is O29.61 billable?

Accepted Answer

Yes. O29.61 is a billable ICD-10-CM code that can be reported on professional and institutional claims as a primary or secondary diagnosis when the provider documentation supports the specific condition described. Billable codes in ICD-10-CM are coded to the highest level of specificity available for the documented diagnosis. O29.61 is current for fiscal year 2026 and remains in the active CMS ICD-10-CM code set published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Question 4

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for O29.61?

Accepted Answer

O29.61 does not map to a payment HCC under either the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model or the older V24 model. V28 reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition. Because neither model rewards O29.61 with a risk adjustment factor, it contributes zero to a Medicare Advantage beneficiary's RAF score in either version. Coders should check whether provider documentation supports a more specific child code that does map to a payment HCC.

Question 5

What should coders know when reporting O29.61?

Accepted Answer

Verify first trimester timing in documentation; this is less common than third trimester difficult intubation Document the reason for anesthesia and any alternative airway management techniques employed

O29.61

Is O29.61 an HCC code?

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Open O29.61 in the Interactive Encoder